Monday, July 27, 2009

DNA Sunday, I mean Sunny Monday--Byron

So we missed Sunday! We were having too much fun at Temple Square in SLC with Aunt Ashpants! And Robdob was hanging out with the Stevenator again. Then we were on the road heading home last night! So we'll just make it a DNA Sunny Monday today!

Byron Bradley Gratteau is next in line! He is Janelle and Steve's oldest. He will turn 6 on November 30th, but enjoys telling everyone he meets that he is six NOW. (Better than the 106 years old that used to be his answer to that question.) He is a funny guy, quite the character! He too loves baseball, and played t-ball for the first time this past spring. He doesn't have quite the same passion as Robdob or the Baker boys, he wants to try all the sport out first. He has asked to play football and soccer next!

Byron loves to climb, always has. I've found him on top of our fridge, the top shelf in the pantry and lots of trees:

Byron loved spending time with Aunt Ashley in SLC. He was sad that Robert was still in the hospital and that he didn't get to see him before we had to come home. He has a message for his Ashpants, "Thank you for letting us come to stay with you in Salt Lake. Tell Robert that I hope he gets to come home soon, and that I hope he feels better!"

Byron has quite the imagination. He loves to come up with costumes to be his favorite super heroes, and sometimes he makes up a new hero. This is the terrifying Thunder Man:

Byron loves to have his picture taken as he is demonstrating by his cheese face:

And I couldn't resist the baby picture:

Here's a little more information about Byron:

Favorite color? Red and blue.

Favorite food? Turkey sandwiches.

Favorite dessert? Mint chocolate chip ice cream and Oreo cookies.

Favorite book: Harold and the Purple Crayon.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A baseball player or do Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe (on the Discovery Channel--he loves that show).

What is your favorite thing or memory about Uncle Robert? When he plays games with me. Video games, Candyland, UNO, and especially baseball in my backyard when he lived at our house.

What is your favorite thing to learn about? Space, gardens, zoos and learning how to make books (I didn't know he was learning that one!) "And my best thing to do is to know where to get ice cream at every place." That is definitely an important thing to learn!

Favorite movie? All the Land Before Times! We've now seen all 10, thanks to Netflix! I just know you're all jealous ;)

*Robert is doing better each day. They are trying some different medication combinations that are helping his nausea. He and Ashley got to head to their apartment in Salt Lake tonight. He will go back to the clinic for appointments twice a week. They are excited about that. Last time in Tucson they went back to the clinic every day for awhile. Robert will be receiving TPN (IV nutrition) bags at home each night until he is consuming more calories during the day. The doctors said he is doing so well--with his numbers and general health--and that they could do anything that he still needs at home. Anytime Robert needs additional fluids they will send some over to his apartment for him, and hook it up to his chest catheter. They are hoping that his healing and appetite will get better faster at home! We are still looking for signs of GVHD!

They were packing up and heading home sometime tonight, so look for a post from Ashley about their excitement on being home (aka. "snuggle time")!

Our Heroes

Donations to the Hope Trust

Donations will go to the Robert Ashworth Memorial Fund to benefit his wife, Ashley.

Fundraising!

We finished our cookbook! ORDER yours today. Proceeds from the cookbooks will go to the Hope Trust Fund. To order a cookbook go here.

Robert's Story

Robert Kenneth Ashworth, 25 won his fight with leukimia (AML), just not the way we hoped. He passed away December 13, 2009. He was first diagnosed in November 2007 and completed four rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant in the following 9 months. He recovered from end of July 2008 until the leukemia returned in February 2009. He received a second bone marrow transplant and won his fight again. He was cancer free from October until December. He is survived by his wife Ashley, 24 and his parents Linda and Ken Ashworth. We are telling their story here.